James Patterson donates $268,000 to indie bookstores

Green Apple Books in San Francisco and Moe’s Books in Berkeley are among the dozens of independent bookstores across the country that have received donations from bestselling author James Patterson.

Patterson announced the $268,000 in donations — the second round this year — today at Book Expo America in New York. The author has given away a total of more than $535,000 this year.

“Every day,” Patterson said in a statement, “booksellers are out there saving our country’s literature. The work they do to support schools and the rest of their communities leaves a lasting love of reading in children and adults. I believe their work is vital to our future as a country. What are we if we don’t have our own literature?”

The remaining money in his $1 million donation will be given away in stages throughout the rest of the year. Booksellers and readers can suggest their favorite stores on www.JamesPatterson.com.

Patterson’s books have sold 300 million copies around the world; he is best known for the Alex Cross detective series.